I am a big fan of Inc. Magazine.  I think its writers often give you more practical, easy-to-use principles than many of the other leadership publications. In addition, their subscription rates are incredibly affordable.
In the recent June 2012 edition, Leigh Buchanan has identified the 13 most prevailing leadership styles currently seen in the marketplace. I found the list and her comments fascinating. See if you can figure out which type of leader you are from the descriptions below:
- The Adaptive Leader – Ron Heifetz, the director of Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership states, “Adaptive leaders rise above the noise to interpret dynamic situations, adjust their values to changing circumstances, and then help their people stretch to meet the unfamiliar without sacrificing their trust.”
- The Emotionally Intelligent Leader – Â “Emotionally intelligent leaders are expert managers of themselves and their relationships with others, and consequently they are masters of influence.”
- The Charismatic Leader – “Though charismatic leaders are tremendous motivators and often run fantastically successful organizations, they tend to suck up oxygen, and their reigns can grow cultlike.”
- The Authentic Leader – “Authentic leaders are polestars of constancy and discipline. By contrast, ‘shooting stars’ rocket to the top, with no time to reflect or deepen.”
- The Level 5 Leader – “As defined by business guru Jim Collins, Level 5 leaders pursue goals with the ferocity of lions while displaying the humility of lambs.”
- The Mindful Leader – Ellen Langer points out, “Too many leaders cruise through life on old assumptions and unquestioned rules of thumb. If those leaders paid close attention to their environments – noticing, probing, analyzing, and most important, listening to others – then they would ask smarter questions, detect nascent change, and become better learners.”
- The Narcissistic Leader – Michael Macoby explains, “Narcissistic leaders don’t listen, they don’t learn, they don’t teach, and they don’t brook dissent. But they’re not all bad.”
- The No-Excuse Leader – As identified by ex-U.S. Army Ranger Corp’s Brace Barber, these leaders “emphasize accountability by both leader and (has a) knack for making decisions quickly, despite incomplete information. (They) don’t have to act tough, but they must display mental toughness.”
- The Resonant Leader – “Morale rises and falls with the mood of the leader. Hopeful, charged-up leaders infect their troops with enthusiasm.”
- The Servant Leader – “Such leaders desire first to serve, then choose to lead so as to serve better. They are empathic, aware, and healing.”
- The Storytelling Leader – Suited well for entrepreneurs, Harvard education professor Howard Gardner says, “Leaders must tell stories: about themselves, about their companies, about what employees do now, and about what they will do in the future.”
- The Strengths-Based Leader – “Strengths-based leaders identify and invest in their own – and their individual employees’ – talents.”
- The Tribal Leader – “The leader’s job is to understand those tribes’ shared values and beliefs and unite them under a common culture.” For more lessons on tribal leaders, click 33 Lessons On Tribal Leadership I Learned From Casey Graham.
Leaders, two simple questions – What type of leader are you and why?
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